Brooks Brothers Celebrates Bicentennial With Katie Holmes, Zac Posen + Paul Simon

Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Brooks Brothers

Brooks Brothers celebrated a milestone anniversary, its bicentennial, in a big way last night in New York City: an unforgettable evening of music and fashion at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall befitting of American’s oldest retailer.

The night was attended by nearly 1000 guests and commenced with a Brooks blue-carpet entrance and elegant cocktail hour. Following cocktails, guests were invited to take their seats for a 75-minute performance led by Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Managing and Artistic Director, and critically acclaimed musician Wynton Marsalis. The performance included an ensemble of nearly 100 musical artists and Jazz stars including Alison Krauss, Jon Batiste and the Dap Kings, Mark O’ Connor, Chris Thile, Joey Alexander, Jared Grimes, Jessica Vosk, Ledisi, Damien Sneed‘s Chorale La Chateau with an impressive total of nearly 40 Grammy awards between them. The evening also included a surprise performance by Paul Simon.

Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Brooks Brothers

VIP guests including Zac Posen and Katie Holmes, Christina Hendricks and Geoffrey Arend, and Yara Shahidi made their way to the stage during the concert to introduce each of the musical acts. The performance closed with the entire cast on stage for cake, fireworks and a rousing rendition of Stevie Wonder’s Happy Birthday lead by gospel legend, Shirley Caesar

Following the concert, Jazz at Lincoln Center was transformed into a full scale after-party where guests were led through a visual history of Brooks Brothers’ two hundred years while dancing the night away to a DJ set by Marjorie Gubelman – aka DJ Mad Marj.

Photo Credit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Brooks Brothers

The menu, created by Great Performances, served gourmet treats while rep striped vintage food carts offered a playful take on New York’s quintessential guilty pleasures including pretzels, hot dogs, and ice cream sundaes. Inspired by the brand heritage, cocktails included “The Disrupter”, “Modern Classic” and the “Golden Fleece”. The after-party continued into Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola which was transformed from a Jazz club to a gilded speakeasy featuring live performance by Sammy Miller and the Congregation.

The brand reached its milestone 200-year anniversary on April 7^th, 2018. Since opening its doors on April 7, 1818, in New York City, Brooks Brothers has grown from a small family haberdasher to become a global brand that has shaped and defined American style through its product innovations.